Geraldo Rivera Defends Matt Lauer, Apologizes After Backlash

Higher-ups at FOX News are reportedly "not happy" with Rivera's defense of Lauer.

As the country continues to process the prompt firing of former NBC Today host Matt Lauer surrounding multiple reports of sexual harassment claims, fellow journalist Geraldo Rivera decided to put his foot in his mouth. Rivera went on a lengthy Twitter rant in defending Lauer and faced immediate backlash.

In a series of tweets, Rivera not only defended Matt Lauer against his sexual harassment claims, he also stated that “news is flirty business,” which set off a firestorm of online backlash that caused Rivera to apologize.

It should be noted that Rivera has his own troubled history with sexual assault, as an old 1991 interview with Bette Midler has resurfaced where she describes to Barbara Walters an incident where Rivera and his manager sexually assaulted her in a bathroom. He denied those allegations and insisted that they had consensual sex.

Check out Rivera’s initial defense of Lauer and apology in the tweets BELOW:

Sad about @MLauer great guy, highly skilled & empathetic w guests & a real gentleman to my family & me. News is a flirty business & it seems like current epidemic of #SexHarassmentAllegations may be criminalizing courtship & conflating it w predation. What about #GarrisonKeillor?

A jerk's a jerk in dating. #SexHarassment should be confined to situations where superior imposes himself on subordinate who feels unable to complain because of power of perp or feared consequences to victim's employment. Shouldn't be used to get even w bad bosses or hated ex's

#SexHarassment allegations should require: 1-made in a timely fashion-say w/n 5 yrs. 2-some contemporaneous corroboration, like witnesses, electronic or written communications. W $ settlements in multi-millions slight chance exists some victims are motivated by more than justice

This issue is so red hot right now there is no room for any thought or opinion but hang em high. If News wasn’t (formerly) a flirty biz then how do we explain so many newsroom courtships that have led to happy marriages?

Reaction to my tweets today on #sexharassment makes clearI didn't sufficiently explain that this is a horrendous problemlong hidden-Harassers are deviants who deserve what is comingto them-Often victims are too frightened to comeforward in a timely fashion-I humbly apologize

Meanwhile, FOX News released a statement condemning Rivera and separating itself from his comments:

“Geraldo’s tweets do not reflect the views of FOX News or its management. We were troubled by his comments and are addressing them with him,” FOX News Channel said in a statement to International Business Times.